Alarm system.



No. 802,573. PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905. J. M. LATIMER.

ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11.1902.

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No. 802,573. PATlElIIIED OCT. 24, 1 905.

J. M. LATIMERG ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1902.

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No. 802,573. PATENTED 00124, 1905.

J. M. LATIMER.

ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT 11.1902.

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JOHN MORRIS LATIMER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSlGNMENlS, TO CONSOLIDATED FIRE ALARM COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWV YORK.

ALARM SYSTEM.

No. 802,573. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 24, 1905. Application filed September 11, 1902. Serial No. 122,928.

TO /1/01" 777? 7/ (fmwm'm of the circuit-closers and the alarm-signal Be it known that I, JOHN MORRIS LATIMER. mechanism.

a citizen of the United States of America, and Another feature consists in making metala resident of the city of Philadelphia, in the lie connections between the alarm-signal mag- 5 county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylnet-coil and the battery and the leads and convania, have invented certain new and useful fining these connections within or close to the Improvements in Alarm Systems, of which signal-box where they are not liable to injury, the following is a specification. in connection with the continuous test of the The invention herein shown relates to an leads which form the remainder of the alarm- IO alarm system, particularly for fire-alarm purcircuit, with the exception of the circuit-closposes, which is suited to a building or group ers. of buildings, and comprises a system of elec- Another feature of my invention relates to 6'5 trical circuitsand apparatus. Suitable alarmthe balancing of the trouble-signal magnetstarting devices or circuit-closers, which may coils, whereby the trouble-signal mechanism 5 beeither manually or automatically operwill be operated by either coil upon the failated-as, for example, open-circuit thermoure or increase of current in the circuit of the stats which close electrical contacts when subother coil. 7o jected to a high temperature are connected Another feature of the invention relates to with an alarm-signal mechanism by which the a test-circuit for the alarm-signal battery.

alarm is given, usually by means of a break- Another feature of the invention relates to Wheel in an alarm-circuit which connects the a ground-test for all the circuits of the system. various buildings of subscribers to the system Another feature of the invention relates to 7 5 throughout the city either with an ofiice from a visual indicator adapted to indicate, whenwhich the various systems installed throughever a circuit-closer operates, the section of 5 out the city are supervised or with the fire the bulldmg 1n whlch the operated alarm deheadquarters of the city. vice is located.

A signal-box, n'eferabylocated in the buildin the accompanying three sheets of draw ing to be protected, contains various parts of ings, Figure 1 is a diagram of the circuits and the signal mechanism and operating coils. apparatus local to a building, omitting the 3 Two leads are run throughout the building visual indicator and the connections required from this box to each of the circuit-closers. therefor. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing one The circuit-closers are normally open and of the gear-trains in the signal-box. Fig. 3 8 5 give the alarm by closing circuit between the is a view with the casing broken away, showleads. An alarm-signal magnet-coil is coning one of the thermostats. Fig. 4c is a dia- 35 nected between the leads at the signal-box and gram of the circuits and apparatus local to a forms an alarm-circuit with the leads and eirbuilding, including the visual indicator. Fig. cuit-closers. The alarm-signal magnet-coil 5 is a section through a building, showing the 0 operates suitable alarm signal mechanism. relation and connections between the various Each of the two leads has both ends run to parts of the system.

4 the signal-box and connected to a trouble-sig- Referring first to Fig. 1, there are two nal magnet coil, thereby forming a closed main leads a a, between which are connected test-circuit which is electrically independent l in parallel relation automatic open-circuit 5 of the test-circuit formed by the other lead, alarm-starting devices or circuit-closers A A and also forming duplicate alarm-circuits beand manually-operable circuit-closers A A,

45 tween each alarm device and the alarm-signal which are distributed throughout the buildnoechanism. Suitable trouble-signalmechaning, and the coils 6 b of an alarm-signal magism is provided, which operates when current net B. A battery of cells ff is introduced I00 is cut oif from or reduced in either troubleat a convenient point for supplying the cirsignal magnet-coil. Batteries are introduced cuit formed by these parts. As shown, the

5 at suitable points for supplying each of the battery is introduced midway 0f the magnetcircuits. coils. Each of the leads has a course from a One feature of my invention consists in dimagnet-terminal 0 0 past all of the circuitverging the two alarm-circuits between each closers. The thermostatic circuit-closers are placed usually in rows along the ceiling of each room and the course of the leads will be back and forth along the rows, the two leads being parallel. After passing to all the devices in the room the leads pass to an adjoining room or floor, where they take a similar course, and so on until the circuit-closers in all the rooms and floors have been connected. Two rows of thermostatic circuit-closers at the top of the diagram indicate two rows on the ceiling of the top story of the building. One row of the same length below and part of a fourth row indicate two rows on the basement-ceiling. The dotted connections between the rows indicate that the rows may be extended and additional rows and floors included, as may be required. Each lead after passing all the circuit-closers is brought back to the point of starting at a terminal of the magnet-coils, preferably over a course as remote as possible from the course over which it leads away from the terminal. Each lead forms a closed test-circuit which is electrically independent of the circuit formed by the other lead. A trouble-signal magnet-coil c and a trouble-signal battery 25 is included in the circuit formed by the lead a, and a trouble-signal magnet-coil 0 and a trouble-signal battery z," is included in the circuit formed by the lead a.

Upon the operation of any one of the circuit-closers two alarm-circuits are established, both of which supply the alarm-signal magnet-coils. One of these circuits will be from the outer terminal of the battery-cells f of the alarm-signal battery, through the alarmsignal magnet-coil 6, up through the lead a at the left-hand side of the drawing to the ceiling of the top story of the building over a zigzag course, through the successive rooms and stories down to the operated circuit-closer, through this device to lead 11/ and. back over a parallel course with lead (6 to the alarm-signal magnet-coil 1/, through this coil to the outer terminal p of the battery-cells f of the alarm-signal battery, thereby completing the circuit. The other alarm-circuit will be from the outer terminal 1) of the cellsf'of the alarmsignal battery, as before, through the alarmsignal magnet-coil Z), as before, down through the lead a at the left-hand side of the diagram, through the trouble-signal magnet coil 0, through the trouble-signal battery 6 to the basement-ceiling of the building, over a zigzag course through the successive rooms and floors up to the operated circuit-closer, through the device to lead a and back over a parallel course with lead a through the trouble-signal battery 25, through the trouble-signal magnet-coil 0, through the alarm-signal magnetcoil 7/, as before, to the outer terminal 1) of the battery-cells f of the alarm-signal battery, thereby completing this circuit to the battery.

The magnet-coils b and 7/ are wound in the same direction on the magnet B and are constructed so that current flowing in either of the circuits just traced will circulate around the core of the magnet B in the same direction in both of its coils.

It will be seen that no part of either lead is common to both alarm-circuits, that the two circuits diverge from the alarm device and do not again come into proximity to each other except at the terminals of the alarm-signal magnet-coils. Consequently if a fire should follow an accident by which one or both leads are broken in any part of the building one of the alarm-circuits will be left intact to transmit the alarm.

The second alarm-circuit is supplied by the trouble-signal batteries as well as by the alarmsignal battery, and so far as this circuit is concerned the alarm-signal battery is not necessary, if the trouble-signal batteries are of sutficient strength and there is sufiicient resistence in that portion of the leads which form the first alarm-circuit to divert sufiicient current from the test circuits to the alarmsignal magnet-coil.

The signal mechanism comprises two springactuated gear-trains arranged to give two classes of signals. One of the signals is an alarm-signal which is given by the alarmsignal gear-train F only upon the operation of the armature of the alarm-signal magnet B. The other signal is a trouble-signal,which is given by a trouble-signal gear-train T upon the operation of either the armature of the alarm-signal magnet or the operation of the armature of the trouble-signal magnet O. The trouble-signal magnet is energized by either of the trouble-signal magnet-coils 0 and c of the two test-circuits. The trouble-signal batteries and these coils are so connected in the test-circuits that the currents in the two coils c and 0 will flow in opposite directions around the magnet. Normally the two coils will neutralize each other and the magnet will not be energized while the two batteries remain of equal strength and neither circuit is broken; but upon the failure of either battery or circuit the coil of the other battery or circuit will energize the troublesignal magnet O and it will attract its armature. Similarly an increase of current in either lead, by short-circuiting or otherwise, would upset the balance of the magnet O and attract its armature. The alarm-signal geartrain F is actuated by a spring 5 and operates when its escapement g is released. It carries a make-and-break wheel in a general alarm-circuit w, which connects the various buildings of subscribers to the system throughout the city with the alarm headquarters. The gear-train can run, if fully wound, upon the release of the escapement until the stop g attached to one of the Wheels, revolves to the right and strikes against a fixed pin g*. The gearing ratio is such that the breakwheel will make three revolutions, and thus repeat the signal three times.

The trouble-signal gear-train-T is similar in construction and operates when its escapement d is released. It carries a break-wheel d, which in practice is usually placed in the same alarm-circuit with the break-wheel of the alarm-signal gear-train. This gear-train T can run upon the release of the escapement until the stop 6Z3 attached to one of the Wheels revolves to the right and strikes against a fixed pin (i The gearing ratio is such that the break-wheel will make one revolution and give the signal once. In practice it is preferable to have both break-wheels give the same alarm-number, the two classes of signals beingdistinguishable by the fact that the alarm-signal is a repeated signal.

The escapement of the trouble-signal geartrain is held from operating by a lever d, which is not provided with any spring to keep it in place, so that when drawn out of the Way of the escapement it will not return and interfere with the full operation of the mechanism. This lever (Z is retracted from the escapement (Z either by the armature of the trouble-signal magnet which is attached to it or by the armature of the alarm-signal magnet which is connected to it through the rod Z. The connectionbetweenthe rod Z and the lever cl is such that operation of the lever by the armature ot the trouble-signal magnet will not disturb the detent g, which is operated by the armature of the alarmsignal magnet.

The escapement of the alarm-signal mechanism is held from operating both by a notched Wheel 9 of the trouble-signal mechanism and by the detent g, which is connected to the armature of the alarm-signal magnet, and this escapement of the alarm-signal mechanism is released only when the trouble-signal mechanism has operated and brought the notch in the wheel opposite a prong of the escapement and the alarm-signal magnet continues to retract the detent g away from another prong of the escapement. This detent g is normally held in engagement with the escapement by a spring or by gravity, and Will fall into engagement again if the alarm signal magnet should become deenergized before the troublesignal mechanism has fully operated. Operation of the alarm-signal magnet consequently first releases the trouble-signal mechanism and permits this to operate, this mechanism serving for this purpose as a slow-acting locking mechanism for the alarm-signal mechanism. After the locking mechanism has operated the operation of the alarm-signal mechanism may take place; but if in the meantime the alarm-signal magnet should berestored to its normal condition the detent 9 Will be brought into engagement with the escapement g of the alarm-signal mechanism and its operation will be prevented. This is to prevent the sending of an alarm-signal upon a brief closure of the alarm-circuit, such as might occur by reason of accidental momentary contact of some metal object with both leads or short-circuiting.

In order to further safeguard the system, the alarm-signal battery is placed under continued test by connecting its terminals through a battery-test magnet-coil H with high resistance. So long as the strength of the battery is maintained and the connections are unbroken this magnet holds up its armature; but upon the battery becoming weak or the connections broken, the battery-test coil will be deenergized and the armature will falland connect the two terminals it b, thereby establishing a path around the trouble-signal coil 0 for the current in the test-circuit formed by the lead a. This will disturb the balance between the coils of the trouble-signal magnet and the trouble-signal mechanism will be re leased and will transmit a trouble-signal.

A ground-test coil K of high resistance is provided to give Warning in event of the wires of the system becoming grounded. Shoulda ground occur in either lead, a current sufficient to operate the magnet will flow through the magnet-coil. Thus if, for example, the lead a should become grounded at any point a circuit will be established from the outer terminal 2) of the battery-cellsf through the alarm-signal magnet-coil 6. through the lead a to the grounded point, through the ground to the ground Gr, through the ground-test coil K to the point of connection (1 between the battery-cells f and the hattery-cellsf, which is the middle point of the alarm-signal battery, thereby completing the circuit. As but half of the alarm-signal-battery current can flow, and but half of the coils of the alarm-signal magnet will be in circuit and the connection through the ground-test magnet is of high resistance the alarm-signal magnet will not be energized sufficiently to operate. The groundtestmagnet K will, however, attract its armature and connect the terminals it, thereby cstablishing a path around the trouble signal coil 0 and upset the balance of the magnet O, causing the operation of the trouble signal mechanism as upon the operation 01 the battery-test magnet H.

The visual indication and the apparatus and circuits requisite for its operation are illustrated in Fig. 4, which shows diagrammatically these added to the apparatus and circuits heretofore described and shows two rows of circuit-closers for the lirst story in addition to the rows for the top story and the basement. The circuit-closers on the basement-ceiling form one group, those on the first story form a second group, and those on the top story form the last group. The circuit-closers for intermediate stories will form intermediate groups. A gear-train U, operated by a spring .s', is normally restrained from operating by a notched wheel a, which holds a prong of the escapement 10. IV hen the alarm-signal mechanism F has been started by the operation of a circuit-closer, the notch in the wheel a will be brought opposite the prong of the escapement Z6, permitting it to operate in a manner similar to that heretofore described in reference to g and g, and the gear-train U then drives a make-and-break cylinder 21 through one revolution, thereby opening and closing successively a series of contacts in one of the leads. It first opens contacts a" in oneot' the leads to prevent new signals from being transmitted from circuit-closers higher up in the building. It also opens contacts a), which form a short circuit across the connections from this lead to the visual indicator V. The connections of this indicator and the connections of the contacts a to the lead are on opposite sides of the connection 0 from the alarm-signal-battery current to this lead. The visual indicator is now included in the second alarm circuit, heretofore traced from the alarm-signal battery, and this will continue from the outer terminalp of the cells ff of the alarm-signal battery, through the alarmsignal magnet-coils 5, down through the lead a at the left-hand side of the diagram through the trouble-signal magnet-coil 0, through the trouble-signal battery 2? to the basement-ceil ing of the building, over a zigzag course through the successive rooms and stories up to the operated circuit-closer, but if more than one is operated to the one on the lowest floor only, through the operated device to lead a, back over a parallel course with lead a, but through as many of the contacts 0/91 4) as are connected with lead a below the operated circuit-closer, through the trouble-signal battery 25, through the trouble-signal magnet-coil 0, the magnet-coil of the visual indicator V, through the alarm-signal magnet-coil t, to the outer terminal of the battery-cells ff of the alarm-signal battery, thereby completing the circuit to the battery. The visual-indicator magnet then attracts its armature and spaces the pointer to the basement indication. Further revolution of the break-cylinder successively opens and closes contacts '0 between the basement and first story, contacts 11 between the first story and the second story, contacts a" between the second story and the third story, and so on to the contacts between next to the top story and the top story of the building, the contacts o and its remaining open. At each making and breaking of these contacts in the lead a below the operated circuitcloser the current through the magnet-coil of the indicator will be interrupted and restored, and the pointer will be spaced one division, and it will stop at the indication of the lowest story on which a circuit-closer has operated at the time when the break-cylinder is revolving. No current flows to the visual-indicator magnet through the leads above the lowest operated circuit-closer after the break-cylinder has started, owing to the opening of the lead a at contacts 14 and the opening of this portion of the lead a at the break-cylinder will not space the visual indicator.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the circuit above traced through the visual-indicator magnet, if the lowest operated thermostat is in the basement, will remain closed throughout the operation of the break-cylinder, and the indicator will be spaced to the basement indication by the current which is diverted through it on the opening of the short circuit around the indicator magnet-coil at the contacts 2). If the lowest operated thermostat is in the first story, the contacts 0 will be included in the circuit, and these will be opened and closed by the break-cylinder, thereby spacing the indicator an additional indication beyond the basement indication. If the lowest operated thermostat is in the second story, the contacts 1) and c will be included in the circuit, and these will be opened and closed in succession by the break-cylinder, thereby spacing the indicator two indications beyond the basement indication. If the lowest operated thermostat is in the third story, the contacts n, '0 and c will be included in the circuit, and these contacts will be opened and closed in succession by the break-cylinder, thereby spacing the indicator three indications beyond the basement indication. In like manner additional contacts 0* and 2f intervene between the upper stories and afford means for breaking the circuit and spacing the indicator and show the operation of thermostats or other alarm apparatus in these stories.

After the break-cylinder has stopped there can be no further opening and closing of the circuit, and the indicator will remain at the indication to which it was spaced by the operation of the break-cylinder, thus afiording a permanent indication of the lowest point and origin of the alarm, even though the cause (if fire) may have spread to other parts of the building when the indicator is consulted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an alarm system, the combination of circuit-closers, alarm-signal mechanism operated by the closure of any of the alarm devices, parallel local leads forming two continuous diverging circuits between each of the circuit-closers and the alarm-signal mech anism, means for automaticallystarting the signal mechanism when either circuit is interrupted and independently of the condition of the other circuit, and a source of electrical energy for said circuits, substantially as described.

2. In an alarm system, the combination of leads forming independent test-circuits, circuit-closers connected in parallel relation between the leads, an alarm-signal magnet-coil operated by the closure of any of the circuitclosers and connected between the leads and forming an alarm-circuit with the leads and cireuit'elosers, a source for supplying electrical energy to said circuits, metallic connections only between the source o1 electrical energy and the other parts of the alarm-circuit, an alarm-signal mechanism operable by the alarm-signal magnet-coil, a trouble-signal magnet-coil in each test-circuit, and troublesignal mechanism operable by the change of electrical condition of either trouble-signal magnet-coil, substantially as described.

8. In an alarm system, the combination of leads forming independent test-circuits, circuit-elosers connected in parallel relation be tween the leads, an alarm-signal battery, an alarm-signal magnet-coil operated by the closure of any of the circuit-closers and connected between the leads and forming an all-metallic alarm-circuit from the battery with the leads and circuit-closers, an alarm-signal mechanism operated by the alarm-signal magnet-coil, a trouble-signal battery and a trouble-signal magnet-coil in each test-circuit, and troublesignal mechanism operated by the change of electrical condition of either trouble-signal magnet-coil, substantially as described.

4:. In an alarm system, the combination of leads forming independent test-circuits, circuit-closers connected in parallel relation between the leads, an alarm-signal magnet-coil operated by the closure of any of the circuitclosers and connected between the leads and forming an alarm-circuit with the leads and circuit-closers, a source for supplying electrical energy to said circuits, an alarm-signal mechanism operated by the alarm-signal magnet-coil, a trouble-signal magnet-coil in each test-circuit, and trouble-signal mechanism operated by the change of electrical condition of either trouble-signal magnet-coil, substantially as described.

5. In an alarm system, the combination of leads forming independent test-circuits, circuit-elosers connected in parallel relation between the leads, an alarm-signal battery, an alarm-signal magnet-coil operated by the closure of any of the circuit-closers and connect ed between the leads and forming an alarmcireuit with the leads and circuit-closers, an alarm signal mechanism operated by the alarm-signal magnet-coil, a trouble-signal battery and a tronble-signal magnet-coil in each test-circuit, and trouble-signal mechanism operated by the change of electrical condition of either trouble-signal magnet-coil, substantially as described.

6. In an alarm system, the combination of leads forming independent test-circuits, circuit-closers connected in parallel relation between the leads, an alarm-signal battery, an alarm-signal magnet-coil operated by the closure of any of the circuit-closers, connections between the alarm signal battery and the alarm-signal magnet-coil and the leads, an alarm signal mechanism operated by the alarm-signal battery and the alarm-signal magnetcoil, a battery-test coil in shunt with the alarm-signal battery, a trouble-signal battery and a trouble-signal magnet-coil in each test-circuit, and trouble-signal mechanism operated by the deenergizing of the battery-test coil or either trouble-signal magnet-coil, substantially as described.

7. In an alarm system, the combination of leads forming independent test-circuits, circuit-closers connected in parallel relation between the leads, an alarm-signal battery, an alarm-signal magnet-coil operated by the closure of any of the circuit-closers, connections between the alarm signal battery and the alarm-signal magnet-coil and the leads, an alarm signal mechanism operated by the alarm signal battery and the alarm signal magnet-coil, a ground-test coil, connections from the middle point of the alarm-signal battery through the ground test coil to ground, a trouble-signal battery and a trouble signal magnet-coil in each test-circuit, and trouble-signal mechanism operated by the energizing of the ground-test coil or the denergizing of either trouble-signal magnet-coil, substantially as described.

8. In an alarm system, the combination of leads forming independent test-circuits, circuit-closers connected in parallel relation between the leads, an alarm-signal battery, an alarm-signal magnet-coil operated by the closure of any of the circuit-closers, connections between the alarmsignal battery and the alarm-signal magnet-coil and the leads, an alarm signal mechanism operated by the alarm-signal battery and the alarm-signal magnet-coil, a battery-test coil in shunt with the alarm signal battery, a ground-test coil, connections from the middle point of the alarmsignal battery through the ground-test coil to ground, a trouble-signal battery and a troublesignal magnet-coil in each test-circuit, and trouble-signal mechanism operated by the energizingof the ground-test coil or the deenergizing of the battery-test coil or either troublesignal magnet-coil, substantially as described.

9. In an alarm system, the combination of circuit-closers, an'alarm-signal mechanism, a slow-acting locking mechanism for the alarmsignal mechanism, means operated by the closure of any of the circuit-closers for releasing the locking mechanism and sending a complete preliminary alarm, and automatic means for detaining the alarm-signal mechanism in case of the restoration of the normal condition of the means for releasing the looking mechanism before the completion of the operation of the locking mechanism, substantially as described.

10. In an alarm system, the combination of leads forming independent test-circuits, circuit-closers connected in parallel relation between the leads, an alarm-signal battery, an alarm-signal magnet-coil operated by the closure of any of the circuit-closers, connections between the alarm-signal battery and the alarm-signal magnet-coil and the leads, an alarm signal mechanism operated by the alarm-signal battery and the alarm-signal magnet-coil, a trouble-signal battery and a trouble-signal magnet-coil in each test-circuit, troublesignal mechanism operated by the alarm-signal magnet-coil or by the deenergizing of either trouble-signal magnet-coil, and means operated by the trouble signal mechanism for preventing the operation of the alarm-signal mechanism until the troublesignal mechanism has operated, substantially as described.

11. In an alarm system the combination of an alarm-circuit, a plurality of serially-arranged groups of circuit-closers connected to the alarm-circuit, an alarm-signal battery, an alarm -signal magnet-coil, an alarm -signal mechanism operated by the alarm-signal battery and the alarm-signal magnet-coil, a visual group-indicator, means for successively opening the circuit between successive groups of circuit-closers, and means dependent upon the presence of current at the successive points of opening between the groups to determine the amount of advance of the group-indicator, substantially as described.

12. In an alarm apparatus, signal-transmitting mechanism, means for normally restraining the movement thereof, a troublesignal magnet, means controlled thereby for releasing the restraining means in case of a trouble-alarm only, means for stopping the transmitting mechanism after a complete trouble-alarm signal, an alarm-signal magnet, and means operated thereby adapted to permit the further operation of said transmitting mechanism for sending a series of alarm-signals similar to the trouble-signal.

Signed by me at N eW York city this 9th day of September, 1902.

JOHN MORRIS LATIMER. lVitnesses:

SAMUEL \V. BALOH, Geo. L. WVHEELooK. 

